Alejandra Viviescas, PhD.,  —

Tumors in the thymus can lead to a malfunction of the immune system, and cause the appearance of ANCA-associated vasculitis, a case report suggests. However, the association is rare, and more cases are needed to establish a line of treatment. The study, “Microscopic polyangiitis associated with thymic tumor:…

Lupus nephritis patients positive for ANCA antibodies show mixed symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus and ANCA-associated vasculitis, culminating in aggressive kidney disease that does not respond well to remission-inducing therapies, a case report suggests. The study, “Rapid progression to end‐stage renal disease in a young female with mixed…

A new test that recognizes anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) targeting proteins other than myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase-3 (PR-3) could improve the diagnosis and classification of ANCA-associated vasculitis, a study suggests. The study, “ANCA Beyond MPO & PR-3: the Clinical Utility of an Expanded ANCA Profile,” was recently presented at…

While breathing difficulties in ANCA-associated vasculitis patients are often a symptom of worsening vasculitis in their lungs, doctors should also consider cardiac valve involvement — or damage to heart valves — as a possible cause, a case report suggests. The study, “Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) Associated Vasculitis Causes Aortic…

Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy – which essentially consists on pooled antibodies from a thousand or more blood donors – could be a promising way of treating MPO-positive ANCA-associated vasculitis patients, an early study suggests. In a rat model of the disease, this therapy lowered the number of anti-MPO antibodies, reduced neutrophil traps –…

Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis producing PR3-ANCA antibodies may have inadequate blood delivery to internal organs, such as the kidneys and spleen, leading to organ malfunction and pain, a case report suggests. The study, “PR3 vasculitis presenting with symptomatic splenic and renal infarction: a case report and…

Tumors caused by granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA)-related lesions appear to be especially sensitive to radiation and can be treated effectively with low-dose radiotherapy, a case report suggests. The study, “Radiotherapy in advanced glottic laryngeal carcinoma in a patient with Wegener’s granulomatosis: how much radiation dose is needed?,”…

Adding intravenous methylprednisolone pulses to standard treatment for inducing remission in severe cases of ANCA-associated vasculitis does not confer clinical benefits and increases the risk of infection and diabetes, a study suggests. The study, “Intravenous pulse methylprednisolone for induction of remission in severe ANCA associated Vasculitis: a multi-center retrospective…

A new test measuring the relative abundance of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) RNA could be an indicator of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) activity and distinguish active disease from remission, a study suggests. The study, “IgG4:IgG RNA ratio differentiates active disease from remission in granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a…

Long-term disease and treatment-related damage reduce the muscle strength and physical capacity of people with ANCA-associated vasculitis. The resulting reduction in physical activity diminishes the quality of life, a study suggests. The study, “Leg muscle strength is reduced and is associated with physical quality of life…